Review
Cell Biology
Jia Mei Hong, Hyeyoung Lee, Nishanth Menon, Chwee Teck Lim, Luke P. Lee, Catherine W. M. Ong
Summary: This review evaluates the current diagnostic assays endorsed by the World Health Organization for tuberculosis and discusses the development of rapid tests and microfluidics technology.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jason L. Cantera, Lorraine M. Lillis, Roger B. Peck, Emmanuel Moreau, James A. Schouten, Paul Davis, Paul K. Drain, Alfred Andama, Abraham Pinter, Masanori Kawasaki, Gunilla Kallenius, Christopher Sundling, Karen M. Dobos, Danara Flores, Delphi Chatterjee, Eileen Murphy, Olivia R. Halas, David S. Boyle
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of LAM-specific antibodies in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The research found that the epitopes of LAM in urine are different from those in in vitro cultured LAM, leading to different antibody performance. Although several new antibody pairs showed high sensitivity to LAM, no new candidate pairs with improved performance in testing urine LAM were identified.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Guocan Yu, Fangming Zhong, Wuchen Zhao, Bo Ye, Kan Xu, Gang Chen
Summary: The study evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of five tests for constrictive tuberculous pericarditis. The findings showed that acid-fast bacilli smear and Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture had low validity. Nucleic acid amplification tests provided moderate diagnostic efficacy, with the CapitalBio assay and Xpert MTB/RIF being similar. Pathology had the highest diagnostic accuracy among the five tests.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hyo Joo Lee, Nam Hun Kim, Eun Hye Lee, Young Soon Yoon, Yun Jeong Jeong, Byung Chul Lee, Bonhan Koo, Yoon Ok Jang, Sung-Han Kim, Young Ae Kang, Sei Won Lee, Yong Shin
Summary: This study proposes a simple tuberculosis molecular diagnostic assay that combines sample preparation and DNA detection steps. The sample preparation is done using a syringe filter with amine-functionalized diatomaceous earth and homobifunctional imidoester, and the target DNA is detected using quantitative PCR. The system has a detection limit that is 10 times higher than conventional PCR assays and can provide results within 2 hours from large volume samples without additional instruments. The clinical utility of the proposed method was validated in 88 sputum samples from four hospitals in the Republic of Korea, showing superior sensitivity compared to other assays. Therefore, this system can be useful for MTB diagnosis in limited-resource settings.
Review
Pediatrics
Morgan Jenkins, Angela R. Seasely, Akila Subramaniam
Summary: Prenatal genetic testing can be categorized into screening and diagnosis. Recent advancements in next generation sequencing (NGS) have revolutionized prenatal genetic diagnostic testing, making it more accurate and advanced. This diagnostic testing involves obtaining tissue samples to determine if a fetus has a genetic condition. New methods such as NGS, including targeted gene panels, whole exome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing, are being used and evolving.
CURRENT OPINION IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Olivier Vandenberg, Delphine Martiny, Olivier Rochas, Alex van Belkum, Zisis Kozlakidis
Summary: In this review, Vandenberg et al. explore the crucial role of diagnostic tests during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing technical and implementation issues encountered and suggesting future directions for improved diagnostics in potential future outbreaks.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yanhua Song, Yifeng Ma, Rongmei Liu, Yuanyuan Shang, Liping Ma, Fengmin Huo, Yunxu Li, Wei Shu, Yufeng Wang, Mengqiu Gao, Yu Pang
Summary: Morning oral swab exhibits the highest sensitivity in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis, and the combination of three oral swab specimens can significantly increase the overall sensitivity.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Emily MacLean, Ruvandhi R. Nathavitharana
Summary: The study presents an optimized urine cell-free DNA test for tuberculosis detection which showed high sensitivity and specificity in a retrospective clinical study. The results met the performance criteria set by the World Health Organization.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Allergy
Francesca Saretta, Leonardo Tomei, Francesca Mori, Cristobalina Mayorga
Summary: Diagnosing drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) in children can be complex as allergic-like manifestations are often due to concomitant infections rather than actual DHRs. In vivo tests, while suggested as the first step, have varying sensitivity and specificity and can be painful. In vitro testing, such as specific IgE, basophil activation test, and lymphocyte transformation test, offers valuable diagnostic potential and can reduce the need for drug provocation tests.
PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
E. Ardizzoni, E. Ariza, D. Mulengwa, Q. Mpala, R. de la Tour, G. Maphalala, F. Varaine, B. Kerschberger, P. Graulus, A. L. Page, S. Niemann, V Dreyer, A. Van Deun, T. Decroo, L. Rigouts, B. C. de Jong
Summary: The study found that in field conditions in Eswatini, thin-layer agar direct drug-susceptibility testing (TLA) can more accurately detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its drug-resistance profiles, especially showing advantages in detecting rifampicin resistance.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Netanya Bernitz, Tanya J. Kerr, Wynand J. Goosen, Josephine Chileshe, Roxanne L. Higgitt, Eduard O. Roos, Christina Meiring, Rachiel Gumbo, Candice de Waal, Charlene Clarke, Katrin Smith, Samantha Goldswain, Taschnica T. Sylvester, Leanie Kleynhans, Anzaan Dippenaar, Peter E. Buss, David Cooper, Konstantin P. Lyashchenko, Robin M. Warren, Paul D. van Helden, Sven D. C. Parsons, Michele A. Miller
Summary: Wildlife tuberculosis, specifically caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is a major concern globally. In South Africa, 24 mammalian wildlife species have been found to be infected with M. bovis. Accurate identification of infected animals is crucial for limiting the spread and controlling the disease.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Virology
Rasmus Strand, Louise Thelaus, Nils Fernstrom, Torgny Sunnerhagen, Ylva Lindroth, Adam Linder, Magnus Rasmussen
Summary: The study evaluated three point-of-care antibody tests for detecting IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV-2, with similar performance in sensitivity for IgG but lower sensitivity for IgM. The tests showed potential for accurate use in routine clinical practice.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Evangeline Ann Daniel, Balakumaran Sathiyamani, Kannan Thiruvengadam, Sandhya Vivekanandan, Hemanathan Vembuli, Luke Elizabeth Hanna
Summary: This study systematically reviewed the role of host miRNAs in tuberculosis diagnosis and evaluated their involvement in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The results revealed that miR-31 showed the highest diagnostic accuracy and could serve as a potential biomarker for rapid tuberculosis detection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Peter Bogaty, Paul K. Drain
Summary: The author raises important questions regarding rapid diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2, including the impact of vaccination on quarantine requirements and the duration of positive results from nucleic acid amplification tests.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Paul K. Drain
Summary: This passage discusses the key points of rapid diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2, including the authorized testing methods, the target population, and the timing and handling of test results.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
